Creel



% y BY 2 1, 1937. c cK 2,102,680

CREEL Filed Sept. 28, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR: George 13. Cooker,

WITNESSES:

I ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 21, 1937.

G. a. cocKER v GREEL Filed Sept. 28, 1.934 4 SheetS -Sheet 2 i w h N INVENTOR:

Gearg efiflocifier,

ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 21, 1937. B COCKER 2,102,680

CREE-L File d Sept. 28, 1934 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Illa INVENTOR: Geo rye 13. Cooker.

WITNESSES:

Ill L,

( G. B. cocKER 2,102,680

Dec. 21, 1937.

CREEL Filed Sept. 28, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet.4

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l1 20 ll '22 a 1 WITNESSES; INVENTOR:

% 4 v I Geo??? l3. Cosine];

Patented Dec. 21, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT] OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to creels such as are used in the textile industry to support multiples of supply spools from which individual yarns are drawn incident to beaming or re-spooling operations.

My invention is in part directed toward securing a more uniform draft tension on the yarns during unwinding of the supply spools, which object I attain, as hereinafter more fully explained through provision of a creel wherein the supply spools are axially supported at a slight inclination tothe horizontal with their ends resting lightly against frictional surfaces.

Another object of my invention is to provide for automatic back-winding of the yarns onto thesupply spools in "the event that the yarns are ruptured or severed, which desideratum I attain, as also more fully set forth hereinafter, by positively rotating the frictional -'surfacesaforesaid in a direction opposite to that induced in the spools during unwinding of the yarns from them.

While the creel of my invention is advantageous with rewinding or beaming apparatus generally, it is especially advantageous inconnection with apparatus employed in winding of pile yarn spools for'Axminster looms required in the weaving of rugs of a predetermined design, wherein the loom spools are individually mounted in succession in a Winding device and positively driven to draw the yarns from the creel. Incident to this loom-spoofing operation, the pile yarns are frequently cut and the supply spools re-arranged from time to time on the creel for pre-disposal of the different colors on successive loom spools in accordance with a pattern chart corresponding to the predetermined design for the rug. With the usual types of creels, the loose cut ends of the yarns must be manually back wound upon the supply spools before the latte-r can be rearranged on the creels as required by design changes on the pattern chart. The back-winding just referred to consumes considerable time in its accomplishment with the apparatus standing idle, and adds greatly to labor costs in the manufacture of Axminster rugs. Furthermore, in the event that a yarn is ruptured accidently or runs out incident to the spooling of yarns for Axminster looms, it is necessary with apparatus in which ordinary types of creels are used todrive the winding device backward until the 'loose'end is found, and to manually back-wind the incidentally slacked yarns to avoid entanglement of them with each other and with the drive rolls of the winding machine. Such reverse operation of the winding device must be effected slowly and carefully, and often entails the drawing off of four or five yards of the yarns from the loom spool. This procedure also consumes much time and correspondingly retards production. The handicaps to which attention has been directed are overcome by my novel creel by virtue of the provisions made therein for reverse rotating the yarn supply spools. Accordingly, irrespective of whether the yarns are purposely cut as when design changes require it, or whether an end is broken accidentally or exhausted during the winding of a loom spool in the winding machine, the released ends or the slack in the yarns will be automatically taken up by said supply spools, with. resultant elimination of the tiresome and time-consuming manual back-winding operations heretofore necessary.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will be manifest from the detailed description following of the attached drawings, wherein Fig. I shows, inside elevation, an apparatus for preparing pile yarn spools for Axminster looms, embodying my improved creel.

Fig. II is a side elevation of the creel drawn to a larger scale.

Fig. III is a View taken as indicated by the arrows III-III in Figs. I and II showing the front elevation of the creel.

Fig. IV is a vertical section of the creel taken as indicated by the arrows IV-IV in Fig. III.

Fig. V'is a transverse sectional View of the creel taken as indicated by the arrows V-V in Figs. II and IV.

Fig. VI is a detail plan view on a still larger scale taken as indicated by the arrows VI--VI in Fig. V; and

Fig. VII is a detail view showing a slight modification of my invention.

With more detailed reference first to Fig. I of these illustrations, the numeral 1 comprehensively designates a commercial form of machine adapted for winding pile yarn spools for Axminster looms, and the numeral 2, the creel with which the present invention is more especially concerned. Theloom spool 3 undergoing winding in the device I is suitably supported and driven in a wellknown manner to draw contrastingly colored yarns 4 from supply spools 5 creel sections are positioned transversely of the winding machine I' (Fig. I) at a distance forward of the latter, and, as shown, each such creel section includes a longitudinal series of tubular uprights 8 and 9, in this instance three, which rise from a supporting base [0 and which are rigidly connected at their tops by a tubular cross member ll. Secured to the uprights 9 at uniformly spaced levels, are brackets l2, each of which carries a group, i. e., a pair of spindles l3 for individual yarn supply spools 5, the spindles of each such pair being complementarily disposed at an acute angle to the horizontal. At their inner ends, the spindles l3 are journaled for rotation in bearings 14 which are respectively secured by bolts IE to arms I6 of the brackets l2. As shown, the spindles l3 project beyond the bearings I4 and have secured to them worm wheels I! that mesh with a worm 18. The worms l8 for the several spindle pairs are secured to horizontal drive shafts 19 which are journaled in bearing bosses 20 afforded by the brackets I2. Secured to the spindles l3, immediately beyond the outer ends of the bearings M, are disks 2| which are faced on their outer sides with surfacing of felt 22 orthe like in contact with which the contiguous heads 23 of the spools are yieldingly maintained under the influence of gravity. The several worm shafts I9 are coordinated for rotation in unison by means of sprocket chains 25, and one of them,in this instance the lowermost one'-is driven, by means of a sprocket chain connection 26, from an electric motor 21 mounted to the base Ill.

Fastened to the upright 8 at levels corresponding to the vertical disposal of the spool pairs, are brackets 28 with laterally reaching arms 29 which are apertured as at 30 to guide the yarns 4 as they are drawn from the spools 5 of the several horizontal rows. 7

By means of the described driving system, the spindles l3 are slowly rotated in a direction opposite to the rotation induced by draft of the yarns 4 under the pull of the loom spool 3 in the winding machine I with the result that, through the frictional action of the felt facings 22 on the disks 2| with the contacting heads 23 of the yarn supply spools 5, the induced rotation-of the latter under the pull of the yarns as aforesaid is yieldingly restrained. By virtue of this action, and in view of the fact that the spindles l3 are inclined and the gravitational effect upon the supply spools correspondingly modified, a substantially uniform tension is maintained on the yarns 4 while they are being withdrawn from said spools. Upon cutting of the yarns 4 at the machine I preparatory to rearrangement of the supply spools 5 on the creel 2 for redistribution of the colors in successive loom spools as required by the design of the rugs which are to be woven in the Axminster looms, the cut ends are automatically backwound through reverse rotation of said supply spools under the action of the drive system. Thus, while the operative removes a filled spool 3, and substitutes an empty one in its place in the winding machine, in preparation for a change in color distribution, the out yarn ends are gathered in by the supply spools 5 which can thereafter be quickly rearranged on the creel, with attendant saving of the time heretofore required with ordinary creels in manually back-winding said supply spools. Again, in the event of the accidental rupture or the exhaustion of a yarn incident to the winding of a loom spool the operation of the winding machine I is reversed for recovery of the lost yarn end, the slack occasioned in the other yarns is automatically taken up as fast as it occurs as a result of the reverse driving of the yarn supply spools 5. Thus, the novel creel of my invention is further advantageous in that it obviates the manual back-winding of the supply spools as was necessary heretofore with ordinary types of creels in contingencies of the kind noted.

In a modified form of my invention shown in Fig. VII, the bearings Ida for the spool spindles l3a have ears 3| with arcuate slots 32 for passage of the securing bolts l5a, the curvature of said slots being concentric with the axis of the worm shaft l9a. Accordingly with this arrangement it is possible to adjust the spindles [3a to different angular positions as suggested in dot and dash 7 lines in the illustration, incident to which the worm wheels Ha will be shifted further around on the worm I8a. By thus changing the angle of the spindles l3a, the frictional restraint imposedupon the supply spools by gravitation can be increased or decreased at will with determination of corre sponding variations in the draft tension on the yarns.

-While I have shown and described the creel of my invention in connection with apparatus for preparing pile yarn spools for Axminster looms, it can obviously be used, with attainment of the advantages hereinbefore pointed out, in other in stances of. spooling or beaming where the maintenance of uniform tension on the yarns is essential, or where automatic back-winding of the yarns onto the supply spools after rupture or severance is desirable and beneficial in reducing production costs.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A creel comprising a multiplicity of spindles arranged in groups, each spindle having a frictional contact surface for an individual yarn supply spool; and means for rotating the spindles in a direction to yieldingly oppose withdrawal of the yarns from the spools, including a drive shaft for each group of the spindles, a worm wheel on each spindle, and a worm on the drive shaft common to and meshing with the worm wheels respectively on the spindles of the corresponding group.

2. A creel comprising a supporting upright; vertically-spaced brackets on said upright each carrying a pair of spindles with frictional contact surfaces for individual yarn supply spools; horizontal shafts journaled in said brackets; a Worm gear on each spindle of a bracket; a worm on the corresponding horizontal shaft intermeshing with the two worm gears; and means for driving the worm shafts such that the spindles are all rotated in a direction to yieldingly oppose Withdrawal of the yarn from the spools.

3. A creel comprising a supporting upright; vertically-spaced brackets on the upright each carrying a pair of spindles with their axes complementarily inclined and having frictional contact surfaces for individual yarn supply spools; horizontal shafts journaled respectively in said brackets; worm wheels respectively on the spindie of each bracket; a worm on the corresponding horizontal shaft intermeshing with the two worm gears; and means for driving the several worm shafts in unison such that the spindles are all rotated to yieldingly oppose withdrawal of the yarns from the spools.

4. A creel comprising a supporting upright; vertically-spaced brackets on the upright each carrying a pair of spindles with frictional contact surfaces for individual yarn supply spools;

horizontal shafts journaled respectively in said brackets; worm wheels respectively on the spindles of each bracket; a worm on the corresponding horizontal shaft intermeshing with the twoworm wheels; means for driving the worm shafts in unison such that all the spindles are driven in a direction to yieldingly oppose withdrawal of the yarns from the spools; and means whereby the spindles may be individually adjusted to different angular positions on their respective brackets to vary the draft tension on the yarns.

5. A creel comprising a number of longitudinally-spaced uprights; vertically-spaced brackets on certain of said uprights each carrying a pair of spindles with frictional contact surfaces for individual yarn supply spools; horizontal shafts respectively journaled in aligned brackets of the several horizontal bracket rows; 7 worm wheels respectively on the spindles of each bracket; a worm on the corresponding horizontal shaft intermeshing with the two worm wheels; means for driving the several worm shafts in unison such that the spindles are all rotated to yieldingly resist withdrawal of the yarns from the spools; and vertically-spaced guides on others of the aforesaid uprights substantially at the levels of the brackets to direct the yarns from the aligned spools of corresponding horizontal rows.

6. In a creel, a multiplicity of yarn spools; individually associated guides through which the yarns are withdrawn tangentially from the spools; and individual supporting means for the spools including axial mounting stems inclined to the horizontal, a friction disk on each stem adapted. to be contacted by one end of thecorresponding spool, and means whereby the stems can be angularly adjusted individually relative to the horizontal so that, under the influence of gravity upon the individual spools, the pressure of thellatter upon the disks is increased or decreased to correspondingly vary the tension of the individual yarns as they are withdrawn from the spools.

'7. A creel according to claim 6, including means for individually rotating the disks in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the spools under the pull of the respective yarns.

GEORGE B. COCKER. 

